History Main / Flatworld

** In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', which takes place 30 years after the end of the GameBoyAdvance duology, the world's oceans and continents are now separated into layers, with the heroes' ship being unable to reach any continents other than their own due to the other continents being separated by waterfalls. Other than the addition of layers, the world is still a flat one but may revert back to its original shape in the years down the road since there's still natural activity happening in the world in the 30 year gap.

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** In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', which takes place 30 years after the end of the GameBoyAdvance UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance duology, the world's oceans and continents are now separated into layers, with the heroes' ship being unable to reach any continents other than their own due to the other continents being separated by waterfalls. Other than the addition of layers, the world is still a flat one but may revert back to its original shape in the years down the road since there's still natural activity happening in the world in the 30 year gap.

* Creator/HPLovecraft's Dreamland is apparently flat, or at least there is one place where you can sail off the edge of the world and "fall" into space, as the eponymous vessel in "The White Ship" discovers.

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* Creator/HPLovecraft's Dreamland is apparently flat, or at least there is one place where you can sail off the edge of the world and "fall" into space, as the eponymous vessel seen in "The White Ship" discovers.''Literature/TheDreamQuestOfUnknownKadath''.

* Creator/HPLovecraft's Dreamland is apparently flat, or at least there is one place where you can sail off the edge of the world and "fall" into space.

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* Creator/HPLovecraft's Dreamland is apparently flat, or at least there is one place where you can sail off the edge of the world and "fall" into space.space, as the eponymous vessel in "The White Ship" discovers.

** The model familiar to us from middle eastern mythology (and later the Bible) didn't have edges you could sail off of, the dome of the metal sky just met the ground at the edges. Everything outside the dome was made of water.

* Some people still believe this to be the case. In the words of TheOtherWiki, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth_Society Flat Earth Society]] "seeks to further the belief that the Earth is flat instead of an oblate spheroid." Interestingly, they believe that the Earth is actually shaped like the azimuthal projection on the United Nations flag, which explains the whole sailing around the world thing at least.

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* Some people still believe this to be the case. In the words of TheOtherWiki, Wiki/TheOtherWiki, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth_Society Flat Earth Society]] "seeks to further the belief that the Earth is flat instead of an oblate spheroid." Interestingly, they believe that the Earth is actually shaped like the azimuthal projection on the United Nations flag, which explains the whole sailing around the world thing at least.

* Data from missions that have studied the cosmic microwave background, such as ''Planck'', show the Universe to be flat to the limit of their measurements. However this simply means space has no curvature or it's so small that cannot be detected. It's not known if it means the Universe extends to infinity with[[note]]This would be an open Universe[[/note]] or without curvature, [[AlienGeometries is finite (and very big) but with a flat geometry]] such as a torus, or it's finite, very big, and curved[[note]]This would be a closed Universe[[/note]].

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* Data from missions that have studied the cosmic microwave background, such as ''Planck'', show the Universe to be flat to the limit of their measurements. However this simply means space has no curvature or it's so small that cannot be detected. It's not known if it means the Universe extends to infinity with[[note]]This would be an open Universe[[/note]] or without curvature, [[AlienGeometries is finite (and very big) but with a flat geometry]] such as a torus, or it's finite, very big, and curved[[note]]This would be a closed Universe[[/note]]. It should also be noted that this "flatness" is a metaphorical 2-dimensional projection of the four dimensions of spacetime and that the acceleration of the universe's expansion is within an order of magnitude of Einstein's "Universal Constant", which he'd added to the wrong side of his field equation to explain what we then believed to be a static universe.

It is worth noting that some people actually believe this, right now, in the 21st century. According to them, the world is a flat, circular disc with walls of ice surrounding Earth. Almost everything about astronomy that could be considered common knowledge is believed to be false.

In ancient history, many cultures believed the Earth was flat. Certainly the curvature is so slight that it wasn't until the Greeks that the spherical Earth theory took hold (contrary to popular belief, [[DeadUnicornTrope Christopher Columbus didn't have to try and convince people that the earth was round]]). Rather, he thought it was much smaller that it's turned out to be. His opponents were right in saying the earth is much larger. The idea of it being about if the earth is flat or round [[NewerThanTheyThink dates from a novel in the 1800s]]).

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In ancient history, many cultures believed the Earth was flat. Certainly the curvature is so slight that it wasn't until the Greeks that the spherical Earth theory took hold (contrary hold. Contrary to popular belief, [[DeadUnicornTrope Christopher Columbus didn't have to try and convince people that the earth was round]]).round]]. Rather, he thought it was much smaller that it's turned out to be. His opponents were right in saying the earth is much larger. The idea of it being about if the earth is flat or round [[NewerThanTheyThink dates from a novel in the 1800s]]).1800s]].

In ancient history, many cultures believed the Earth was flat. Certainly the curvature is so slight that it wasn't until the Greeks that the spherical Earth theory took hold (contrary to popular belief, [[{{DeadUnicornTrope}}Christopher Columbus didn't have to try and convince people that the earth was round]]. Rather, he thought it was much smaller that it's turned out to be. His opponents were right in saying the earth is much larger. The idea of it being about if the earth is flat or round [[NewerThanTheyThink dates from a novel in the 1800s]]).

to:

In ancient history, many cultures believed the Earth was flat. Certainly the curvature is so slight that it wasn't until the Greeks that the spherical Earth theory took hold (contrary to popular belief, [[{{DeadUnicornTrope}}Christopher [[DeadUnicornTrope Christopher Columbus didn't have to try and convince people that the earth was round]].round]]). Rather, he thought it was much smaller that it's turned out to be. His opponents were right in saying the earth is much larger. The idea of it being about if the earth is flat or round [[NewerThanTheyThink dates from a novel in the 1800s]]).

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